Record Heat in DFW - Article from Dallas Morning News

[jasons2k]

Heat melts records

09:34 AM CDT on Monday, April 17, 2006
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News

If Monday’s temperature reaches 98 degrees as predicted, it will mark the seventh day this year of record highs.

The highest temperature recorded on April 17 was 94 degrees, set both in 1913 and 1925, said Jennifer Dunn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“We have a ridge of high pressure that has been anchored over us,” Dunn said. “With the southerly winds it pumps up all the heat and moisture from the gulf and raises our temperatures to higher than usual for this time of year.”

The weather has been unseasonably warm since the first day of 2006, when the temperature soared to 83 degrees, blasting a 96-year-old record by 4 degrees. Since then, a record has been broken twice more in January, and once each in February, March and April. (Official temperatures for North Texas are recorded at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.)


High winds and a lack of rain have resulted in the above-average temperatures, said Jesse Moore, another NWS meteorologist. The pattern should continue through the summer, he predicted, with at least 20-plus days of triple-digit temperatures.

Amid the heat, there was a moment where the pendulum swung the other direction. On March 24, a little more than three weeks ago, a record-breaking low temperature of 30 degrees was recorded, edging the 31-degree mark set in 1966 and 1974.

Tuesday’s temperature should reach the mid-90s during the day. But a cool front should move through the region that night and early Wednesday, dropping highs to the 70s and lows to the 50s and 60s through Friday, Dunn said.

Rain chances are 40 percent on Thursday and Friday. Weekend high temperatures should reach the 80s, she said.

[TexasStooge]

This is just unbelieveable!

[Extremeweatherguy]

It is 94F where I am in NW Houston right now.

[bob rulz]

It's at 99 right now. Looks like it got even hotter than predicted. God, I could never imagine 99 degrees in April.

[TexasStooge]

I think AussieMark/TWW (who I was chatting with on MSN Messenger) is right about one thing, Texas may get a summer as hot as Australia's, I'm talking about temps near 115*F. What a scary thought.

[LAwxrgal]

We're scorching here, too. Record high of 90 at the NOLA airport today, and here in my neck of the woods it got to 88. Already feels like summer! Ugh....

[Extremeweatherguy]

Current Texas Temps:

Houston - 93F
Dallas - 96F
Fort Worth - 101F
Witchita Falls - 101F
Austin - 98F
San Antonio - 97F

**WOW! 101F is pretty hot for April!**

[CajunMama]

Record set here in Lafayette of 92. Quit sending all that hot air east!

[PTrackerLA]

92 degrees in Lafayette today, a new record. This is just ridiculous, we're becoming a desert over here .

[zoeyann]

I was sweating outside sitting in the shade with shorts today in Chauvin. And they are expecting near record temps all week. God help us in August

[gboudx]

Supposed to cool off to the 70's with decent rain chances by mid-late week. Hang in there.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Whats the chances that this is warming up the gulf of Mexico?

[Extremeweatherguy]

Dallas officially hit 101F today for a high!

[cheezyWXguy]

I had 104 yesterday...boy, I cant wait for summer to be even hotter!(sarcasm)

[cajungal]

This is the hottest I remember it being in only April here in SE Louisiana. I sweated to death since my cars AC is broken. I remember in April about 5 years ago, some friends and I decided to go down to Grand Isle to do some camping. And the temps dropped down to the 40's with strong winds. We went anyway and like to froze to death in the tent on the beach. Not this year. Can't believe how hot it has been and so dry! I hope we can get some much needed rain soon! I am a bit nervous about Hurricane Season in only 6 more weeks.